Sophos has announced the latest version of Sophos Cloud, the company's cloud-based solution for small- and mid-sized organisations wanting a simpler approach to IT security.

The new version of Sophos Cloud manages Windows, Mac and mobile devices from a single console. It features user-based management, reporting and licensing; built-in web security to prevent user access to malicious and infected websites; and new policy-based Web Control features to enforce safe and productive web usage. Sophos Cloud offers effortless deployment as well as ease of use for IT managers and channel partners, given its simple, intuitive user experience.

A recent Sophos survey of IT managers highlighted the growing challenge of device diversity across their organisations, with a need to support Windows PCs, Macs and mobile devices: 78% support or plan to support Macs on their corporate networks, and 41% see the number of Macs increasing in their corporate environments. A recent IDC study showed that a quarter of SMBs are using mobile device management (MDM). However, 75% have still not adopted MDM.

"Organisations need an integrated security strategy to support users' demands to choose their own device, while providing IT managers real-time visibility and access to information to keep organisations safe from advanced threats. Sophos Cloud delivers a simple and effective approach for IT organisations to confidently embrace BYOD and to support and protect the wide range of user devices in their environments," says Brett Myroff, CEO of Sophos distributor, NetXactics.

Sophos Cloud delivers effective mobile device management to keep users productive and corporate information secure. The new web features enable IT managers to easily set and enforce policies for enhanced security and compliance; user-based policies can be created once and rapidly deployed across multiple groups and platforms, and follow the users and their devices even when they are off the network. Sophos Cloud also adds Active Directory synchronisation to simplify deployment and management for users and groups.

"IDC predicts that the continuing SMB productivity push will drive cloud and mobility adoption, in a big way; in the US, a third of small businesses and almost 75% of mid-sized firms are using the cloud, and the share will continue to grow," reports Raymond Boggs, research vice president at IDC.

"Sophos Cloud can help manage security across Windows, Mac and mobile devices, which is especially important given the diversity – some might say chaos – of an SMB environment. Its user-based management is well suited to SMBs looking to secure users of corporate devices or their own BYOD equipment. Sophos Cloud will be a useful resource for channel partners to leverage in helping support the resource-limited IT teams of their SMB customers."

"This new release of Sophos Cloud is another positive step in the company's strategy to use the cloud to create new, innovative solutions to the ever-increasing security challenges faced by small and mid-market businesses," says Myroff. "Sophos Cloud is a differentiated offering that enables IT professionals to simplify security management without compromising users' demands for usability and performance. Sophos security delivered with cloud simplicity is clearly resonating with customers and partners."

Consistent with Sophos' commitment to its channel partners, Sophos Cloud enables IT solution providers and outsourcers to deliver value to customers. A unified Web-based management console, hosted in the cloud by Sophos, enables complete protection for users and devices, and a new partner dashboard gives partners visibility into, and control over, their customers' subscriptions, devices and policies.